As a green building education and advocacy organization, Green Building United works to build a sustainable, healthy, and resilient built environment for ALL.
But “for all” isn’t possible when black and brown communities are fighting for their lives. As our cities, our country, and the world suffers from the coronavirus pandemic, racial oppression and violence, economic instability, and the devastating impacts of climate change, we have the monumental task and opportunity to take an intersectional approach to solutions for these issues.
As a predominantly white organization, many of us can only imagine the deep and distinct pain that must be endured by black Americans. And as regional leaders in green building and sustainability, we have a responsibility to the black community to hold ourselves accountable.
Green Building United vehemently opposes and condemns white supremacy and the killing of black people and we’re calling on our members to do the same. As professionals in the building industry, it is imperative that we check our unconscious biases and take an active role in dismantling racism in our field.
Following the formal creation of our Equity and Diversity Committee earlier this year, we have been asking ourselves: What are we doing to help support communities of color? What steps can we take to become more educated, better allies? What resources can we offer? How are we using equity as the lens to view all of the work we do?
Today, we extend a few commitments and recognize this is only a starting point. Green Building United commits to continuing our anti-racism work by:
- Providing more racial justice training for our board, staff, and volunteers
- Amplifying the messages of diverse voices and communities of color in the green building and sustainability industries
- Building stronger partnerships with minority owned businesses and building industry organizations
Above all, we commit to not remaining silent during pivotal political and cultural moments that impact communities of color. This is an important opportunity to stand with one another to demand a just, healthy, and carbon-free world.